Titanium Service's
Technical News Center
Click on either "Current Events" or "History by Market" to see articles about new technology and market applications.
Current Events History By Market
5-9-01….Varian, Inc. introduced its next-generation Helix™ System for DNA Analysis. The Helix System includes instrument hardware, software, laboratory consumables, and methodologies for determining variations in the DNA sequence. The Helix components are manufactured from bio-inert materials including titanium for compatibility with DNA. For more information see Yahoo news.
5-4-01….The United States Government is considering a revised design for the nuclear waste proposal project in Nevada. Because of concerns over heat accumulation, the department is considering a variety of measures - including titanium ``drip shields'' over the waste canisters to keep away water deposits. For more information see Yahoo news.
4-25-01.... Pacific Aerospace & Electronics, Inc. announced that the Company's Interconnect Division has been granted a significant hermetic sealing patent from the United States Patent Office. The patent (U.S. No. 6,221,513) describes methodology and materials related to component assemblies and products that hermetically seal ceramic to metallic (which contains titanium) surfaces. This new technology will support next generation electronic packages used for a variety of applications, including advanced implantable medical devices. For more information see Yahoo news.
4-23-01....Sulzer Medica Ltd, a Swiss company, announced that its subsidiary, Sulzer Spine-Tech, received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration to begin commercializing the BAK/C® Cervical Interbody Fusion System. The BAK/C devise was designed for use in patients with painful degenerative disc disease. The devise is a cylindrical titanium alloy implant designed to provide immediate stability and promotes fusion between vertebral bodies. Approximately 150 000 cervical fusions are performed per year in the USA alone. For more information see Yahoo news.
4-19-01….Electrofuel, a Canadian company, has developed an external lightweight battery, called a PowerPad, for laptop computers that can operate from 12 to 16 hours. It weighs 2.5 pounds and is about 11 inches long, 8 inches wide and 3/8 of an inch thick. The PowerPad battery comes packed in a titanium casing. Electrofuel says its batteries can store 435-watt hours per liter of battery. In the case of the PowerPad 160, that translates into about 160-watt hours of power capacity. For more information see Yahoo News.
3-15-01....Singapore's Gintic Institute of Manufacturing Research is in the process of investigating innovative ways of processing titanium alloys using die-casting techniques for making paper-thin metal sheet. The government-funded company has currently established a die-casting process for making paper thin magnesium sheets used for hand-held gadgets. The results have allowed local cell phone manufacturers to churn out ultra-lightweight cases for the latest cell phone models. Dr. Choy Chee Mun, who heads the precision metal forming group stated ``Titanium alloy is mainly used for the aircraft and military industries. We want to transform this material into (a part of) our daily life.'' For more information see Yahoo News.
Aerospace Alloy Technology Architecture Automotive
Hand Gun Technology High-Fidelity Loudspeakers
Photography Plutonium Disposition Protective Enclosures
Space Technology Sports-Board Technology
Testing Equipment Titanium Investment Casting Titanium Matrix Composites
9-19-00YBoeing, Lockheed Martin, TRW and the U.S. Air Force are building a revolutionary weapon system that will shoot down Scud-type missiles from the air. An airborne laser system onboard a modified 747-400 aircraft will locate, track, point and fire high levels of laser energy sufficient to destroy scud-type missiles. The most visible modification to the 747-400 is in the nose section of the plane where the laser turret will be installed. In the lower lobe area below where the laser modules will sit, the frames are being replaced with titanium belly skins. The titanium belly skins are 25 feet long and 12 feet wide.
8-23-00..YLockheed Martin announced the successfully completed testing of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Integrated Subsystems Technology. The technology incorporates environmental control, secondary (or emergency) power, multiple hydraulics and multiple power-generation, into one system. The projected benefits of this new technology are lower procurement and life-cycle costs, reduced takeoff weight and increased survivability. The new technology incorporates several subsystems including the fan-duct heat exchanger program using both inconel and titanium heat exchangers to mount inside the F119 engine fan duct and provide the heat sink for an integrated turbo machine. The turbo machine (Pratt and Whitney) provides auxiliary and emergency electrical power and environmental conditioning.
8-2-00…..AHF Ducommun (Gardena, CA) has delivered two 25.00 ft x 5.5 ft titanium "belly skins" to the Boeing modification center in Wichita, Kansas for the flying platform of the Airborne Laser aircraft program. These two complex contoured skins will be fastened together to form the largest single, one-piece titanium component in the world. Titanium was chosen for this application to meet the thermal, strength and chemical compatibility requirements for the aircraft.
2-18-00…….The Boeing Company announced that is offering a new, advanced-technology winglet as a standard option for its Next-Generation 737-800. The winglets weigh about 120 pounds each and are made of high-tech carbon graphite, an advanced aluminum alloy and titanium. The winglet is eight feet long and tapers from a four-foot base to two feet at the tip. The new winglet design gently curves out and up from the wing tip. This new design reduces aerodynamic drag and boosts performance. Boeing has noted that "The Next-Generation 737-800 equipped with the new winglet will be able to fly farther, burn 3 percent to 5 percent less fuel, or carry up to 6,000 pounds more payload." For more detailed information see Yahoo news.
6-30-98.....Barnes Aerospace & Bell Helicopter have jointly developed a titanium firewall assembly for Bell's BA609 civil tilt rotor aircraft. Barnes Aerospace's Ogden, Utah division, the subcontractor for Bell on this program, will begin delivering prototype assemblies in the third quarter of this year. The titanium firewall requires both hot forming and super plastic forming technology to complete the assembly. The contract is for up to 250 shipsets of the BA609.
A revolutionary amorphous or metallic glass called Vitreloy is being introduced into the aerospace markets. Howmet has been licensed to produce the first Vitreloy aerospace components. Production is taking place at its Whitehall, Michigan facility. Vitreloy is a combination of zirconium, nickel, copper, titanium and beryllium. The alloy is said to be twice as strong as titanium or stainless steel, and significantly harder than both. Because Vitreloy is amorphous, its atoms arrange themselves randomly as they cool from a molten state. The random structure is an advantage over conventional metals which are crystalline in structure, thus making their grain boundaries the weak link.
10-4-00… Jaguar introduced the XKR Silverstone, a special limited edition model, at the South Florida International Auto Show. Equipped with the most powerful mainstream production engine in the company's history, the XKR Silverstone coupe can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in just 5.2 seconds. All Silverstones feature 20-inch ``Detroit'' style alloy wheels that use titanium bolts to attach the rim to the center section. These are the largest wheels ever fitted to a production Jaguar. For more information see Yahoo news.
8-19-00…Saleen, Inc. (headquartered in Irvine, California) has unveiled the Saleen S7, a true American supercar. The S7 is capable of going over 200 mph and can go zero-to-60 in under four seconds. The S7 engine and drive train are Saleen designed. The motor generates 550 horsepower at 6400 rpm and delivers 520 foot-pounds of torque at 4000 rpm. High performance materials are used throughout the car including titanium retainers.
7-21-00…. DTM Corporation announced that Italy's Minardi Formula 1 automotive race team is using investment cast titanium parts from patterns generated on a DTM Sinterstation7 system. The cast titanium components on this Formula 1 car include the uprights, suspension supports, clutch box, steering box, and gearbox. The DTM manufacturing technology helped cut the ``art-to-part'' time by half and also avoided tooling, machining, and excess material costs. The Sinterstation systems create 3-D objects from Computer Aided Design (CAD) data. DTM's systems address the industry's growing need for rapidly produced, durable, testable prototypes and end-use parts. The CastForm PS patterns were made by C.R.P. Technology, a division of Cevolini Group in Modena, Italy. C.R.P. The casting was produced by Coastcast Corporation, a foundry in Rancho Dominguez, California, USA. The parts were cast from two modified titanium alloys, Ti 6246 and Ti 64.
7-1-00………Arvin Industries, Inc. and General Motors have merged technology and innovation to develop the first mass-market automotive titanium exhaust system for the 2001 Corvette Z06. Some of the advantages of Arvin's titanium exhaust system are weight deduction (44% lighter than stainless steel) for improved acceleration, deceleration, handling, shorter braking distances, and better fuel efficiency. The new product is also environmentally responsible as it is 100% recyclable. Finally the titanium product is designed to last longer because of it’s corrosion immunity to common road salts and acids. This technology improvement has improved both the performance and aesthetics of the Z06. The exhaust pipe has been cut at an angle and curled on the radius. This design feature both increases the strength of the metal but also creates a distinctive "classic" design look.
5-17-00...Environmental Solutions Worldwide, Inc., the developer of a fuel efficient titanium sparkplug and other environmentally friendly products announced the launch of it's website www .cleanerfuture.com. The titanium sparkplug offers the 'potential of increasing the efficiency of internal combustion engines, reducing toxic emissions, while increasing fuel economy." For more information see Yahoo News.
1-1-00…….General Motors has unveiled the Precept, a test car that can run up to 80 miles on one gallon of gas and carry as many as five passengers. The GM Precept uses technology that is years away from being found in production cars. To attain this type of efficiency the engineers designed a hybrid diesel/electric power system, and also saved weight by using aluminum and titanium rather than steel in many parts. The result is a car that is the size of a Chevrolet Malibu but weighs about 460 pounds less. For more information see Yahoo News.
12-29-99…..Ford Motor Co. has built a test car called the Prodigy, that gets more than 70 mpg and has the space requirements of a Ford Taurus. The car’s high fuel-efficiency is due to a long list of high-tech improvements. Part of the reason is the car saves energy by weighing less. Built mostly of "aluminum, with some magnesium and titanium components, the Prodigy weighs 2,387 pounds -- about 1,000 pounds less than production mid-size sedans." See Yahoo News for more details.
11-10-99…Acura announced the return of the racing-tuned Acura Integra Type R to the 2000 year Acura lineup. The limited production Integra is being shipped to Acura dealers this week. The racing-inspired Type R features one of the most powerful 4-cylinder (195 horses) engine in America. Designed as a high performance vehicle this model also includes a track-tuned suspension, reinforced unit body structure, large disc brakes/calipers and high-performance wheels and tires. The interior also maintains this high performance feel with a leather-wrapped steering wheel, a carbon fiber style instrument panel, and a titanium shifter knob.
4-9-99....Toyota, the Japanese vehicle manufacturer, has introduced titanium components into a production car. At this time the car model is only available to the Japanese market, but if these new components prove successful, the titanium technology will become available in other Toyota production vehicles. The intake valve system uses a standard 6AL-4V titanium grade while the exhaust valve system uses a titanium- zirconium -molybdenum- nickel alloy. Prior to this entry, titanium components have been limited to concept cars (such as Ford's P2000, Chrysler's Neon Lite) Sports Cats (such as Honda NSX) and the high performance auto racing markets.
10-19-97...The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao was opened to the public. The museum was designed by Frank O. Gehry. It is located in the city of Bilbao in northern Spain. The museum is dedicated to American and European art of the 20th century. The architecture of the building was recognized as a key factor in making the project the international landmark. Gehry=s huge sculpture-like building is fashioned from a variety of materials and constructed with an memorable if not chaotic silhouette. The buildings fragmented geometric spaces are finished in stone, titanium and glass.
Battery Technology
4-19-01….Electrofuel, a Canadian company, has developed an external lightweight battery, called a PowerPad, for laptop computers that can operate from 12 to 16 hours. It weighs 2.5 pounds and is about 11 inches long, 8 inches wide and 3/8 of an inch thick. The PowerPad battery comes packed in a titanium casing. Electrofuel says its batteries can store 435-watt hours per liter of battery. In the case of the PowerPad 160, that translates into about 160-watt hours of power capacity. For more information see Yahoo News.
01-27-00…..Eveready Battery Co. Inc. has developed the new Energizer e2 (e-squared) titanium battery that lasts, in some cases, over twice as long as standard alkaline batteries. The energizer e2 uses a form of titanium compound that has been altered by adding an additive that allows electrons to flow more freely and thus improves energy performance and conductivity. The technology will be available for use as early as this summer in the form of Double-A batteries. The company plans to adapt the battery technology for other uses such as wireless telephone batteries. See Yahoo News for more details.
10-11-99.…Grant Prideco, RTI Energy Systems & Torch Drilling Services announced the world's first commercial use of titanium drill pipe. A hybrid steel and titanium drill string that combined four joints of 2 7/8" titanium pipe was used to drill the curved section of a short-radius well in Greeley County, Kansas. This commercial success was the result of years of testing by Grant Prideco (headquartered in The Woodlands, Texas), the world's leader in drill stem technology development and drillpipe manufacturing, and RTI Energy Systems, Inc, a subsidiary of RTI International Metals Inc (headquartered in Niles, Ohio). Torch Drilling Services L.L.C. (a wholly owned subsidiary of Torch Energy Advisors Incorporated, headquartered in Houston,Texas) the company that drilled the curved section, provides short radius horizontal drilling services to oil and gas operators throughout the United States.
10-5-00…The Transportation & Highways Committee for Westminister in central London is considering a plan to test and (if successful) install a titanium-coated paving stone that is purported to break down & absorb nitrogen oxide from the emissions of vehicles traveling over the paving stones. The titanium-coated stones react with oxides of nitrogen, absorbs them and converts them into nitrogen and oxygen molecules. Mitsubishi Corporation (the developer of these pollution-absorbing stones) is currently in negotiations with the British Transportation Committee.
1-30-01….GolfGear International Inc. announced that the USGA determined that GolfGear’s T sunami (featuring a 10-2-3 beta titanium forged-face insert) conforms with USGA rules. The Tsunami driver’s 10-2-3 titanium insert has been double-struck to maximize density evenly throughout the entire hitting area and is fused into an investment cast beta titanium body. The T sunami driver series has a suggested retail price ranging from $799.95 to $1,099.95. For more information see Yahoo news.
3-14-00……Callaway Golf Company is introducing the sale and distribution of it’s newest titanium driver, the ERC™ Forged Titanium Driver, to the Japanese golf market. Later this year the company plans to begin sales of this product into Europe. The new ERC Driver has an "ultra-thin, ultra-hot forged face that features Callaway Golf's proprietary Variable Face Thickness Technology." To accomplish this technological development, Callaway’s engineers tested a variety of metals including every available grade of titanium alloy with a variety of engineering designs. The suggested retail price for this limited production, super premium priced driver will be about $900-$1000 US dollars. The ERC™ Driver has been "submitted to the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of Saint Andrews for the purpose of determining its conformity with the Rules of Golf as applied in those countries where the product will be sold." For more information see Yahoo news.
2-4-00…..PING, of Karsten Manufacturing Corporation, a leading golf technology innovator, is making their most successful putter, the Anser 7 available with a choice of four different, lightweight titanium hosels. They will be called the Anser Ti™ Series. The four hosels have small holes cast through them, replacing titanium with patent pending PING Purfelan hosel inserts which are four times lighter than the titanium that they displace. For more detailed information see Yahoo News.
Hand Gun Technology
5-25-00...Taurus International was named "Manufacturer of the Year" by the Shooting Industry Academy of Excellence for their Total Titanium (TM) line of revolvers. The Taurus' PT-111 Titanium Millennium pistol was also named "handgun of the Year" by the Academy. For more information see Yahoo News.
High-Fidelity Loudspeakers
11-3-99...JBL Consumer Products announced that its Ti10K loudspeaker has won a 1999 Good Design® Award from the Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design. The Ti10K loudspeaker was one of 100 products selected from over 2,000 submissions in 48 countries. The GOOD DESIGN competition is the oldest and most important design competition worldwide. The winning designs are based on aesthetic criteria measuring innovation, form, materials, construction, concept, function and utility. To achieve its high level of sound quality, the JBL Ti10K uses the highest-quality components and the latest generation of JBL's advanced titanium driver technology, including a 1-inch pure titanium tweeter, 4-inch titanium mid-range driver, 6-1/2-inch midrange driver, and dual 8-inch high-power woofers.
5-9-01….Varian, Inc. introduced its next-generation Helix™ System for DNA Analysis. The Helix System includes instrument hardware, software, laboratory consumables, and methodologies for determining variations in the DNA sequence. The Helix components are manufactured from bio-inert materials including titanium for compatibility with DNA. For more information see Yahoo news.
4-25-01.... Pacific Aerospace & Electronics, Inc. announced that the Company's Interconnect Division has been granted a significant hermetic sealing patent from the United States Patent Office. The patent (U.S. No. 6,221,513) describes methodology and materials related to component assemblies and products that hermetically seal ceramic to metallic (which contains titanium) surfaces. This new technology will support next generation electronic packages used for a variety of applications, including advanced implantable medical devices. For more information see Yahoo news.
4-23-01....Sulzer Medica Ltd, a Swiss company, announced that its subsidiary, Sulzer Spine-Tech, received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration to begin commercializing the BAK/C® Cervical Interbody Fusion System. The BAK/C devise was designed for use in patients with painful degenerative disc disease. The devise is a cylindrical titanium alloy implant designed to provide immediate stability and promotes fusion between vertebral bodies. Approximately 150 000 cervical fusions are performed per year in the USA alone. For more information see Yahoo news.
2-21-01....Thoratec Corporation has received conditional approval from the FDA of an Investigational Devise Exemption for their "Thoratec Implantable Ventricular Assist Devise" (IVAD(TM)). The IVAD is a blood pump for heart failure patients and recent open heart surgeries. This pump is encased in a titanium housing designed for implantation. Weighing less than a pound, the devise is half the size of other available implantable VAD devises. For more information see Yahoo news.
2-7-01.....Laporascopic gastric bypass surgery has recently become a more popular procedure for people whose overweight condition has a strong negative or life threatening effect on their health. The 2 1/2 hour procedure involves the use of hundreds of tiny titanium staples placed on and around the patients stomach and intestine. The procedure is intended to shrink the stomach and relocate the stomach and small intestine directly together. The outcome allows the patient to eat far less to become full (satiated). For more information see Yahoo news.
1-23-01… APEX Medical has received patent approval for its "flow-through blood pressure sensor". The technology of this APEX medical sensor will enable the next-generation rotary heart assist pumps known as ventricular assist devises (VADs). The pump is made of titanium. For more information see Yahoo News.
9-22-00….Biolink Corporation has reported the rapid acceptance of their Dialock7System (an implantable access port for patients undergoing hemodialysis) by doctors and patients throughout Europe. The Dialock System includes an implantable titanium vascular access port. The system has proven far easier to implant and use than previously available products. The Dialock has been implanted in over 300 patients worldwide (approximately 200 of them in Europe). For more information see Yahoo news.
9-19-00Y.Dr. Brockmeyer, an associate professor of pediatric neurosurgery at Primary Children's Medical Center, used a new technique to re-align the broken neck of a 23 month old child. He used two titanium screws and a transplanted rib to repair the child=s neck. Later Dr. Brockmeyer stated @These new screw fixation techniques are the wave of the future in children=s spine surgery.@ The new surgery will also allow the child to not be placed in a restrictive halo vest after surgery. The halo vest would have significantly restricted the child=s activities for the next four to six months. For more information see Yahoo News.
6-8-00……MicroMed Technology, Inc. announced that the first patient in the US received the MicroMed DeBakey Ventricular Assist Devise ™. The heart assist device is designed to supplement the pumping function of the left ventricle, the heart's main pumping chamber. The devise "pumps blood from the left ventricle through a titanium inflow cannula inserted into the heart's apex." The devise is about 1/10 the size of the current heart assist devises available in today’s commercial marketplace. The device's size and lower weight make it a candidate for a wider variety of recipients and surgeries. For more information see Yahoo News.
6-5-00…..APEX Medical announced the successful completion of initial animal tests on its totally implantable blood pressure monitor. The company noted this is a critical milestone in the company's full-scale effort to "complete development on what is expected to be the world's first totally implantable, flow-through blood pressure monitor." The device is made of titanium and was developed as a joint venture between APEX Medical and The East Development Group, Inc. For more information see Yahoo News.
5-25-00…..Laboratory tests conducted at Ohio State University showed that Nitinol, a very biocompatible nickel-titanium alloy, outperformed stainless steel as a stabilizing wire in simulated fracture tests. 21-gauge Nitinol wire and stainless steel wire were each applied to identical test frames designed to simulate the healing cycle of a human kneecap fracture. When a hot water bath was applied to the frames, Nitinol wire produced 250 newtons of compression while the stainless steel wire went from 35 to 33 newtons of compression. These test results could eventually help lead to better bone fusion and faster healing from bone fusion surgeries. For more information see Yahoo News.
5-10-00...Moyco Technologies, Inc. announced they have received initial orders exceeding $750,000 for patented stainless steel and nickel titanium endodontic (root canal) instruments. The patented design of these instruments allows the practitioner to "move more quickly and safely clean and shape a root canal" by utilizing an engine driven hand-piece. For more information see Yahoo News.
3-27-00.....International Isotopes Inc announced 85% product yields for it's automated Brachytherapy seed manufacturing system. The current production rate is for 1800 seeds per shift with a target production rate of 100,000 seeds per month. The entire production process from start to finish takes only 31 seconds. Brachytherapy involves the insertion of radioactive pellets into the prostrate tumor via needle. This process allows for a localized radiation therapy verses the traditional therapy that radiated a more generalized area. The manufacturing procedure for this new technology includes performing an initial weld on one end of a titanium tube, inspection of the weld, the loading of the tube with irradiated pellets, a weldment of the other end of the tube, another automated inspection, and finally a placement of the sealed tube into an output vial. For more information see Yahoo News.
3-20-00….. Weck Closure Systems announced it’s `Hem-o-lok'' polymer vessel-ligating clip has been selected as a finalist for a Gold Award in the Medical Design Excellence annual competition. Weck Closure Systems, a unit of Teleflex Corporation, is a national market leader in the production and marketing of vessel ligating clips. These clips are used as alternatives to suture-tie material in surgery. The company sells over 100 million metal clips (tantalum, titanium and stainless steel versions) annually. For more information see Yahoo News.
3-9-00…..Interpore Cross International, a company that designs, manufacturers, and markets spinal implant devises, announced it has received a Humanitarian Devise Exemption from the FDA to market its new product, the Telescopic Plate Spacer ™ (TPS™) in the United States. The TPS™ is an expandable titanium spacer designed to replace one or two vertebral bodies and assist in correcting and stabilizing the spine following a corpectomy (surgical procedure involving the removal of vertebrae). The TPS™ devise functions as both an anterior plate and a spacer for the vertebral column. For more information see Yahoo News.
3-8-00…..LSI Solutions announced that several of their new products, including the Ti-KNOT™ have been selected as winners of the prestigious Medical Design Excellence Award 2000. The Ti-KNOT™ secures a suture together by crimping a tiny metal sleeve, called a Titanium Knot ™. This procedure also automatically cuts away suture tails. The Ti-Knot ™ is one of several products the company has brought to the marketplace for the advancement of minimally invasive surgery hand instruments. The products are designed to increase surgical precision while also reducing the actual length of time to complete the procedure. For more information see Business Wire or Yahoo News.
3-6-00.....ALZA Corporation announced that the FDA has approved the companies new drug application for Viador. Viador is a drug filled miniature titanium implant that is placed under the skin of a patient's upper arm. The product contains an osmotic engine which continually delivers exact quantities of leuprolide for one year. This product provides an important new therapeutic option to patients with advanced prostrate cancer. The cylinder is made of titanium because of our human tissues tolerability of titanium plus the metals ability to protect the therapeutic agents from degrading within the body for extended periods of time. For more information see Yahoo News.
3-6-00…..Bio-Vascular, Inc. announced an agreement with the Feather Safety Razor Co. of Japan for exclusive U.S. distribution rights for Feather Safety’s precision micro neuro dissection set. The set is a high quality precision instrument used for virtually all neuro-surgical dissection and resection tasks. The product includes a set of reusable titanium handles that offer excellent balance and feel for the surgeon along with a series of disposable blades that insure sharpness and sterility. For more information see Yahoo News.
2-17-00…..American BioMed, Inc. has received a Notice of Allowance from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for its application entitled, ``Method and Apparatus for Making a Stent.'' Stents are very small devices that are placed in the body's blood circulatory system. The stents are designed to prevent the narrowing or blockage of blood circulation within the artery." American BioMed’s stents are made from nitinol, (nickel-titanium). For more details about this announcement see Yahoo news.
10-26-99...ABIOMED, Inc. announced that it had completed its efforts to finalize the clinical configuration of the AbioCor (TM) implantable replacement heart. The company is starting production of clinically configured devises. The completion of this milestone is in preparation for human trials, subject to regulatory approvals. AbioCor's (TM) "titanium and smooth plastic construction and unique design are specifically engineered to reduce the likelihood of damage to blood components". For more details about this announcement see Yahoo news and Business Wire.
3-15-01....Singapore's Gintic Institute of Manufacturing Research is in the process of investigating innovative ways of processing titanium alloys using die-casting techniques for making paper-thin metal sheet. The government-funded company has currently established a die-casting process for making paper thin magnesium sheets used for hand-held gadgets. The results have allowed local cell phone manufacturers to churn out ultra-lightweight cases for the latest cell phone models. Dr. Choy Chee Mun, who heads the precision metal forming group stated ``Titanium alloy is mainly used for the aircraft and military industries. We want to transform this material into (a part of) our daily life.'' For more information see Yahoo News.
5-11-00.....MTS Systems Corporation announced that two of it's employees, Dr. Frank Arcella, and Dr. Donald Krantz, are part of a team that was honored with the "Excellence in Technology Transfer" award from the Federal Laboratory Consortium. The team has successfully developed a commercially viable laser driven process that fuses titanium powder into three dimensional structures that meet or exceed the mechanical and chemical requirements of industry handbook properties in CP Ti, 6AL-4V, 5AL-2.5SN, ELI grades and other alloys. In addition, this process manufactures these titanium structures "faster and more efficiently than the traditional methods of casting or forging titanium products." For more information see Yahoo News.
6-22-99.....AeroMet Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of MTS Systems Corporation announced it has been awarded a contract from Boeing's Phantom Works Division to demonstrate the viability of the AeroMet LasformSM process (TM) for low cost production and repairs of complex titanium spare components. This technology involves direct, rapid fabrication of three dimensional titanium components without the use of molds or dies. The process holds promise for reductions in both lead-times and costs for titanium parts. For more information see Yahoo news.
1-19-00….Fujifilm will be showcasing an extensive lineup of imaging products at this year’ Photo Marketing Association Trade Show including the new Black Titanium GA645Zi Professional camera. Production of the new Black Titanium GA645Zi Professional camera has been in response to the requests from professional shooters. The camera still incorporates all the outstanding features and performance for which this camera line is know for. Among the features, t he GA645 series models come with a strong, lightweight titanium body. The show will take place February 3-6 in Las Vegas.
6-9-00…Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory recently purchased a plutonium-oxide saltwasher from the Russian Scientific Research Institute of Atomic Reactors (RIAR) that is quicker, more efficient and offers less radiation exposure than the current U.S. conventional systems. The RIAR-designed and fabricated saltwasher is a stainless steel and titanium system that will fit inside a glove box. For more information see Yahoo News.
5-4-01….The United States Government is considering a revised design for the nuclear waste proposal project in Nevada. Because of concerns over heat accumulation, the department is considering a variety of measures - including titanium ``drip shields'' over the waste canisters to keep away water deposits. For more information see Yahoo news.
4-19-01….Electrofuel, a Canadian company, has developed an external lightweight battery, called a PowerPad, for laptop computers that can operate from 12 to 16 hours. It weighs 2.5 pounds and is about 11 inches long, 8 inches wide and 3/8 of an inch thick. The PowerPad battery comes packed in a titanium casing. Electrofuel says its batteries can store 435-watt hours per liter of battery. In the case of the PowerPad 160, that translates into about 160-watt hours of power capacity. For more information see Yahoo News.
2-22-01....Apple Computer's Steve Jobs presented the Titanium Powerbook 4 at the Macworld Expo Tokyo. He noted that "Titanium is the material of the future for making laptops." In other articles the new titanium case is described as visually stunning. Titanium remains extremely stiff even at almost foil-like thicknesses. The case is thinner and lighter than others made from reinforced plastic or magnesium. The 1-inch thick notebook delivers up a 15.2-inch display but weighs only 5.3 pounds. For more information see Yahoo news.
9-28-00…. Breitling USA, a subsidiary of Breitling, the Swiss watch company, announced the FAA & FCC have granted approval for sale of the Breitling EMERGENCY wrist instrument; a multifunction chronograph plus micro-transmitter that enables close-range location of crash or forced landing survivors. The transmitter broadcasts at 121.5MHz (the international distress frequency). The range of the signal depends on the terrain. A search aircraft flying at 20,000 feet can pick up the signal up to 100 miles away on flat terrain. The instrument is protected by a titanium case and bracelet. For more information see Yahoo news.
5-1-00......IBM announced the next generation of their ThinkPad(R) notebooks now with a variety of technical improvements including the use of titanium composite materials. The notebook's covers are made of a titanium composite material which offers several product benefits including an increase in the strength of the case, a dampening effect that reduces the ill effects of vibration and shock to the notebooks and an improved weight to strength ration that allows for a thinner/lighter notebook. For more information see Yahoo News.
Space Technology
2-7-00…. Pacific Aerospace & Electronics, Inc. announced it has received an order from Lockheed Martin to supply components "based on the Company’s patent pending, high efficiency thermal transfer electronic packaging technology." This technology offers several benefits including a highly efficient thermal transfer property associated with the composite-titanium metal structure design, and an optimum lightweight materials offer customers significant savings in satellite and defense applications where the cost-per-pound to launch is a driving factor. See Yahoo News for more details.
1-29-00….NASA has plans to extend a 197-foot radar antenna boom from the space shuttle Endeavour. NASA has never flown such a long, rigid structure in space before. The shuttle, by comparison, is 122 feet long in orbit. The boom (a series of stiff, staked cubes starting at 3 ½ feet in diameter) is made of steel, titanium and plastic. The mast is folded up inside a 9-foot can and will be put back into the can for the trip home. See Yahoo News for more information.
Sports-Board Technology
1-28-00…..Dynastar, the well known French ski manufacturer, has just unveiled its new "Autodrive" skis for 2000-01. The Autodrive ski combines three unique design elements into one ski. Dynastar believes that "Autodrive is the most significant skiing technology ever developed." One of the three new design elements that help to make this a high performance, less effort ski is a platform or control deck (on which the bindings are mounted) that is made from a titanium alloy. This titanium platform increases ski flex, adds a damping layer to reduce vibration and gives the skier an "enlarged sweet spot for more control." See Yahoo News for more details.
3-11-99.....MTS Systems Corporation has developed a wheel force transducer for applications in light trucks and SUV testing and data acquisition. The new system, called the SWIFTTM LT is made from high quality aircraft grad aluminum. A titanium version is manufactured for more rigorous testing requirements. This new technology has reduced the testing time from about one month to only a few hours, saving the vehicle manufacturers huge amounts of time and costs for testing.
Titanium Investment Castings
11-15-99…PCC Structurals, Inc., an operating unit of Precision Castparts Corp. will supply has been contracted by Boeing to supply the aft engine mount for the Rolls Royce Trent 800 for the Boeing 777 aircraft. This engine mount will be the largest titanium investment casting on any Boeing commercial airplane. The contract call for two castings for metallurgical evaluation with production castings delivered in early 2000. This product is replacing a machined forged blank and offers Boeing both significant weight and cost savings. PCC Structurals is "the market leader in manufacturing both large, complex structural investment castings and airfoil castings used in jet aircraft engines."
5-1-00......IBM announced the next generation of their ThinkPad(R) notebooks now with a variety of technical improvements including the use of titanium composite materials. The notebook's covers are made of a titanium composite material which offers several product benefits including an increase in the strength of the case, a dampening effect that reduces the ill effects of vibration and shock to the notebooks and an improved weight to strength ration that allows for a thinner/lighter notebook. For more information see Yahoo News.
9-7-98….Textron Systems announced the delivery of three titanium matrix composite (TMC) drag brake pistons for F/A 18 E/F nose landing gears. The pistons are reinforced with Textron Systems' SCS-6 silicon carbide fiber in a Titanium 6-2-4-2 grade matrix. Titanium reinforced with SCS-6 fibers exhibit tensile strengths more than 250,000 pounds per square inch, and modulus of up to 30 million pounds per square inch. The material exhibits a significant increase in strength-to-weight performance and improved strength at temperatures up to 800oC, depending on the grade of titanium used. Textron Systems, a subsidiary of Textron Inc., is a "leading supplier of advanced systems, components and materials for use in defense, aerospace, automotive and industrial applications." This assembly is being produced in conjunction with Boeing of St. Louis, Missouri and Messier-Dowty of Ajax, Ontario, Canada as part of a program funded by the U.S and Canada to develop a more lightweight landing gear system.
Vehicles (non automotive)
2-27-01....English based Maclaren company has designed the worlds first titanium stroller. With a price tag of $2,000, only about 1000 of the Maclaren Titanium Edition strollers will be made. The stroller's benefits include a stronger, lighter, rust resistant, more shock resistant, and sturdier product. For more information see Yahoo news.
2-13-01….The Detroit Diesel Corporation's new DDC Series 60 marine engine is now available in a more powerful version (at 825 bhp) in addition to the older series 700 bhp. The 18% percent increase in horsepower is the result of a series of technology breakthroughs including the use of a titanium heat exchanger. For more information see yahoo news.
1-21-00.....Ford Motor Company is the first automaker to design and manufacture an America’s Cup racing keel from concept to finished product. The Ford-supported AmericaOne challenger program employed several complex metal technologies including their use of titanium in the manufacturing of a strong yet lightweight lifting eye. The eight pound lifting eye was designed to allow a crane to raise the 24-ton racing yacht in and out of the water. The "titanium lifting eye is just another example of the many ways Ford is using and enhancing its technical expertise in sail boat racing."
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